Bombs for Universal Health Care: Los Angeles Says "YES!!!!"

I attended the Los Angeles Health Care Forum on Saturday, March 4th-- an all day event, mandated by Congress, to garner opinions and solutions from the community regarding our broken health care system.

I didn't know if I wanted to attend a 10-hour Saturday event-- running a nonprofit and a campaign is enough to make one's head spin. But I ran into a gentleman at Studio City Farmers Market who said to me, "If your platform is health care, you have to attend." Hmmmm... my platform is not solely health care, and this man was quite rude, but that kind of stirred my interest.

Also, I was getting bad vibes from some organizers of this event... one woman approached me after hearing me speak at the LA County Democratic Party meeting, inviting me to attend this event in order to speak with the media. She gave me her card, assuring me she would be in touch before the 4th. When I e-mailed her just prior, telling her I would not be attending, I immediately got an e-mail back saying she had been out of town, she asked someone to follow up, that person had dropped the ball, blah, blah, blah... Then they asked me to sign a press release-- I said I would need a final draft... I was assured that, but never received it... Long story short, I was extremely unimpressed with this process and those who handled it...when I headed downtown on that early Saturday morn...

Nearly 500 folk filled the LA Convention Center room-- and I was shocked the organizers could round up so many who would give up their Saturday, with little more than a free lunch. Obviously, health care --and the fact that it doesn't work in this state and country-- is extremely important to our citizens. WOW, that impressed me-- and I liked all the people at my table. And indeed the passion that filled the room. But I quickly noticed there was something amiss here...

When they were gathering demographic information about the attendees at the start of the event, it became painfully clear that most were just like me-- white, college-educated, low-to-moderate income and politically progressive-- hardly an accurate representation of the Los Angeles population. So odd that the organizers had failed so badly in this basic planning.

But that being said, I was shocked and delighted to learn that most all of these 500 folk were in unison in their support for a universal health care plan to remedy our failing system. I remember the days when I would dare mention universal health care as the solution on a talk show, and the panel would attack me, saying among other things that I was naive and short-sighted (this generally from physicians).

The highlight of the day was when the room was asked what they were willing to give up to have a fair for-all, universal health care plan. An angry man stood up and began yelling, "Why should we have to give up anything! We're already paying for one! Why should we have to make choices like higher taxes or less access to doctors and services???" That passionate man's voice was heard--and his point blew me away... because he was right! Surely, the hundreds of BILLIONS that taxpayers already pump into health care would more than finance an efficient single-payer system. Why, indeed, should we have to give something up?? Isn't that just part of the lie that keeps us frightened and in-line??

So I told my table that I was willing to give up "liberating" people in other countries, and all the bombs and carnage that goes with it, for a universal health care plan for all people in this country. When our table's recommendation was broadcast, the room responded with thunderous applause and cheers. And that turned out to be Los Angeles' recommendation to Congress and the President.

So while I still don't understand what exactly this forum was supposed to accomplish, I did learn that quite a lot of my fellow Angelenos think just like me-- and that warmed my heart. At least for one day in one room, sanity and compassion prevailed...